Teeth can experience a lot of wear and tear over the years, and decades of chewing and injuries can leave their mark on your smile. Many people would love to get rid of dental defects such as chips, cracks, stains, gaps, or misshapenness, and veneers have allowed millions to achieve beautiful smiles by covering their teeth with lifelike porcelain shells. However, placing veneers requires a small amount of enamel to be removed to make room. Here’s a brief guide to this process, including how much enamel must be removed.
How Do Veneers Transform Smiles?
Veneers are thin porcelain pieces designed to be cemented over troubled teeth to conceal defects like chips, cracks, and stains or reshape teeth into more pleasing forms or alignments. These appliances can be placed in as few as two appointments, and they can last for up to fifteen years before needing replacement if they receive excellent care. While teeth receiving veneers will need to have a small amount of enamel removed, the appliances will serve to protect the teeth from injury and infection afterward.
How Much Enamel Must Be Removed for Veneers?
When placing veneers, your dentist will do everything they can to preserve as much of your natural dental structure as possible. This allows the veneers to form more solid bonds with the teeth while ensuring that your smile stays healthy and strong. Your dentist will determine the exact amount of enamel that must be removed during your consultation.
The precise amount of enamel to be removed depends on how the teeth are shaped, how they are aligned, and the severity of the issues the treatment is intended to address. Dentists typically only need to shave away about 0.5 mm from the teeth, and sometimes they remove even less than that. However, removed enamel will not grow back, which means that the treated teeth will have to wear veneers from then on for protection. This makes them a decision that is not to be made lightly or without the right information.
During your consultation, your dentist will evaluate your teeth and determine the best way to help you achieve your best smile. They will also answer any questions you have and provide you with the information you need to make an educated decision. For many people, veneers are the ideal way to achieve a more gorgeous grin.
About the Practice
Allure Dental Boutique offers the finest oral healthcare available to the people of Lutz. Dr. Shabnam Tehrani leads the practice, and she earned her Doctor of Dental Medicine at the University of Florida College of Dentistry. The office provides preventive, restorative, emergency, and cosmetic dental services such as veneers. If you’re interested in what cosmetic dentistry may be able to do for you, contact the staff online or dial (813) 751-3044.